Various prior processes enable production of petroleum and coal tar pitches for numerous applications. The processes include fractionation, thermal cracking, and heat-soaking. Complexity of the processes and time required to produce the pitches with the prior processes contributes to cost of the pitches that are in limited supply.
The pitches form precursor materials for applications including use as coatings and binder. For example, pitch coating procedures that are distinct from the processes used to make the pitches provide one known option for making battery electrode material with desirable electrical properties. Price of obtaining the pitches used for the coating procedures thus passes through to expense in producing the electrode material.
Post coating treatments or stabilizations prior to carbonization of such pitch coatings further increase the expense in producing the electrode material when using the pitches generated with prior techniques. The battery electrode material may include the pitch coatings on milled particles of carbonaceous material such as coke. In addition to cost factors, this milling may influence criteria for production of the electrode material by preventing or limiting ability to achieve desirable particle size and morphology of the milled particles for some applications.
Therefore, a need exists for improved methods and systems for making carbonaceous products including particles suitable for use in electrodes of electrochemical storage devices.